Epstein Files Live Updates: DOJ Deadline Today as Trump-Era Law Forces Release of Long-Sealed Records

Live Updates

• 02:45 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Trump administration begins releasing long-awaited documents

  Epstein Files Live Updates: The US Department of Justice has begun releasing the long-awaited Epstein files just now, following months of political pressure, public outrage, and scrutiny over Donald Trump’s past connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

  Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that several hundred thousand documents are being released, though some may be held back temporarily to protect victims’ identities. “I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,” he said.

  House Democrats, led by Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, condemned the partial release as a violation of federal law and vowed to explore legal action.

  The disclosures arrive amid ongoing public and political debate over Trump’s past friendship with Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. While Trump is not accused of wrongdoing, the files are expected to shed light on the nature and timeline of their relationship. Trump and his allies maintain that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct.

• 02:29 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: DOJ staff frustrated as they rush redactions ahead of release

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Justice Department staff responsible for redacting the Epstein files are reportedly growing frustrated with a lack of clear guidance as they race to meet the legal deadline, according to CNN sources.

  Thousands of pages require careful redactions to protect survivors’ identities, national security interests, and ongoing litigation. Lawyers are spending extensive time on this painstaking process but are reportedly uncertain how to maximize public disclosure while complying with redaction requirements, adding to internal pressure within the DOJ.

• 01:40 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Fresh Epstein Images Released Ahead of DOJ Deadline

  Epstein Files Live Updates: House Democrats on Thursday released 68 new photographs from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, including images of passports, text messages, and photos featuring Bill Gates and Noam Chomsky.

  The disclosure came just ahead of the legal deadline for the US Department of Justice to publish additional materials from its Epstein case files, adding to pressure on the administration to make all records public.

  👉 Click here to view fresh Epstein Files photos Epstein Files Updated Photos: Fresh Epstein Images Released Ahead of DOJ Deadline; See Top 10 Pictures

• 01:36 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Gavin Newsom’s office says Trump, Pam Bondi and Kash Patel are ‘hiding’ something

  Epstein Files Live Updates: California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office on Friday questioned the Trump administration’s decision not to release all Epstein-related documents by the deadline, suggesting President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel are “hiding” something.

  Reacting to the DOJ’s stance, Newsom’s office posted a sharp message demanding transparency, writing: “WHAT ARE TRUMP, BONDI, AND KASH HIDING!!” followed by “RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES.”

• 01:34 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: House Oversight Republicans accuse Democrats of ‘cherry-picking,’ say Trump cleared

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Republicans on the GOP-led House Oversight Committee on Friday lashed out at Democrats ahead of the DOJ’s release of Epstein-related materials, accusing them of “cherry-picking” edited photos from Epstein’s estate to score political points and target President Donald Trump.

  The Republicans said Democrats were creating a “hoax” against Trump and chasing headlines at the expense of victims, adding that they cannot be trusted to run serious investigations. In a separate post, the committee accused top Democrat Robert Garcia of ignoring what it called the lack of evidence against Trump, saying there is “no evidence” of wrongdoing by the president.

  While Trump has not been accused of any crime, Democratic lawmakers continue to push for a full public accounting of his past connections to Jeffrey Epstein and any broader network of powerful figures linked to the case.

• 01:32 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Ghislaine Maxwell appeal may complicate release of documents

  Epstein Files Live Updates: The latest legal move by Ghislaine Maxwell could potentially affect the release of some Epstein-related records. Maxwell has asked a federal court in New York to set aside her sex trafficking conviction, claiming “substantial new evidence” shows she did not receive a fair trial.

  Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in abusing and exploiting minor girls alongside Jeffrey Epstein, filed the petition from prison this week. While a judge has already ordered grand jury materials in her case to be unsealed, the Epstein Files Transparency Act allows the DOJ to withhold documents that could jeopardize an active federal investigation. If the court takes up Maxwell’s appeal, it could complicate the timing and scope of the document release.

• 01:11 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: House Republican Thomas Massie demands full release of records

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the House GOP members pressing for transparency, on Friday demanded the full release of the Epstein files as required by law.

  Massie posted a copy of the legislation mandating the disclosure and highlighted language stating that “all” materials must be released within 30 days of the law’s passage. “Release the files,” he wrote, underscoring growing bipartisan pressure on the administration.

• 00:28 (IST) 20 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Chuck Schumer says Senate probing which Epstein documents are being withheld

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday said Senate Democrats are working with lawyers and attorneys representing Jeffrey Epstein’s victims to determine which documents are being held back by the Justice Department.

  Reiterating his criticism of the administration, Schumer said the actions of the Department of Justice, President Donald Trump, and Attorney General Pam Bondi show they are “hellbent on hiding the truth.” He accused the administration of engaging in a cover-up, saying Democrats are consulting outside legal experts to assess what records are being withheld and why.

• 23:45 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: NY Times columnist David Brooks appears in latest Epstein photo release

  Epstein Files Live Updates: New York Times columnist David Brooks was featured in the latest batch of Epstein estate photographs released Thursday, a month after he wrote a column downplaying public obsession with the Epstein files.

  The images show Brooks smiling at the camera while having drinks and dinner alongside other guests at an event with the late sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein.

• 23:24 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Senator Ron Wyden says DOJ is violating the law over partial release

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Senator Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, on Friday accused the Department of Justice of violating the law by failing to release the full contents of the Epstein files as mandated.

  Wyden criticized Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s explanation that delays were to protect victims’ privacy, saying the administration had plenty of time since January to prepare necessary redactions. “Anything short of a full release today is a violation of the law and a continuation of this administration’s coverup,” Wyden said, highlighting ongoing concerns over the financial and political networks tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

  He is also pursuing efforts to compel the Treasury Department to provide additional documents to Senate investigators probing Epstein’s financial dealings.

• 23:18 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: House Oversight Democrats exploring legal action against Trump Administration

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said Friday they are examining all legal options to hold the Trump administration accountable for failing to release the full set of Epstein files by the mandated deadline.

  Ranking members Reps. Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin stated that Trump and the Department of Justice are violating federal law by continuing to withhold documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long, billion-dollar international sex trafficking network, describing the delay as part of a cover-up.

• 22:32 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: DOJ expected to release documents at 3 pm ET

  Epstein Files Live Updates: The US Department of Justice is expected to release the long-awaited Epstein-related documents at 3 pm ET on Friday, according to two sources cited by CBS News. The disclosure comes as the deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act expires later today, amid intense political and public scrutiny.

• 22:30 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Ro Khanna urges DOJ to give ‘clear timeline’ for full release

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, the lead sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, on Friday said the Justice Department must provide a clear timeline for the complete release of all Epstein-related records, even if the full set is not made public today.

  In a statement to CBS News, Khanna said the release of hundreds of thousands of documents itself marks a historic moment for survivors, but stressed that the DOJ had months to prepare and is legally required to disclose all unclassified records in a searchable and downloadable format. He said partial disclosure without clarity on what remains and when it will be released is not enough.

  Khanna accused the Trump administration of long ignoring Congress and said the ultimate goal remains justice for survivors and accountability for powerful individuals involved in or covering up abuse. While acknowledging the need to protect victims’ identities and redact graphic material, he insisted the DOJ must spell out when all names and documents will be made public and provide a clear framework for full disclosure.

• 22:25 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Chuck Schumer accuses Trump Administration of 'Hiding the Truth'

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday accused the Trump administration of violating the law if it fails to release all Epstein-related documents by the deadline. His remarks came after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that not all files may be made public immediately.

  Schumer said the law passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump gave the administration 30 days to release all Epstein files, not a partial set. “Failing to do so is breaking the law,” the New York Democrat said, accusing the Justice Department, Trump, and Attorney General Pam Bondi of being “hellbent on hiding the truth.”

  He added that Senate Democrats are working with survivors’ lawyers and legal experts to examine what records are being withheld. “We will not stop until the whole truth comes out,” Schumer said, calling the delay a cover-up to shield Trump from his past.

• 22:12 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: A fire Donald Trump could not put out as pressure mounts for disclosure

  Epstein Files Live Updates: The Trump administration had earlier sought to draw a line under the Epstein case in July, when the Justice Department released a memo reaffirming that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, stating there was no evidence of a sex-trafficking client list and that no further records would be released. President Donald Trump, who was friends with Epstein for more than a decade in the 1990s and early 2000s before cutting ties, has repeatedly dismissed renewed interest in the case as a Democratic “hoax.”

  However, years of conspiracy claims amplified by figures close to Trump fueled deep suspicion among his MAGA support base, eventually triggering a backlash. As pressure intensified, Congress stepped in, with key Republican lawmakers aligned with Trump backing legislation mandating the release of Epstein-related records. After initially criticizing his supporters for focusing on the issue, Trump ultimately relented and supported the disclosure law, clearing the way for the current document release.

• 21:26 (IST) 19 Dec 2025

  Epstein Files Live Updates: Todd Blanche says not all Records will be Released Today Despite Trump-Administration Deadline

  Epstein Files Live Updates: US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday suggested that not all Epstein-related files will be made public today, even as the legal deadline under the Trump-era transparency law expires. Blanche said authorities will release hundreds of thousands of documents linked to late financier Jeffrey Epstein but are still reviewing the material to ensure it does not identify or harm victims.

  Speaking to Fox News, Todd Blanche said the release process will continue beyond Friday. “I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,” he said, indicating a phased disclosure of the Epstein files.